Shadow Stalker
by Yoshi 2.1
Summary: Things start to become more difficult as Samantha Miko struggles to bring all crime to justice as Shadow Stalker, while also facing the various challenges of everyday life. Read & Review.
1. Chapter 1

**Shadow Stalker**

**Summary:**** Follow the life of a girl named Samantha Miko as she goes from being a shy little girl to being a crime fighting nocturnal vigilante named Shadow Stalker. But whoever said that crime fighting was gonna be easy?**

**All rights to Shadow Stalker belong exclusively to me. She's my OC. Every character that appears in this story is owned by me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**A Nocturnal Beginning**

**Part 1**

Today was a peaceful and calm day at a local elementary school. Various boys and girls were playing on the playground, socializing among each other. They played games like tag, hop scotch, kick ball and many other things. The teacher Ms. Jean, whom was a woman in her mid 20's, was gracefully watching the kids as they had fun. However, she did show concern for one child who wasn't having fun at all.

Sitting up against a tree all by herself was a young black haired, fair skinned, blue eyed 8 year old girl. Her name was Samantha Miko. Out of all the kids in school, she was the only one who stood out from the others. She would frequently distance herself from everyone, rejecting any boy or girl who tried to play with her. Even Ms. Jean had tried getting her to be more active with her classmates, only to fail repeatedly. Though despite her antisocial personality, she was also a gifted young girl with intelligence that surpassed most girls her age.

"Okay kids, recess is over. Everyone back inside." said Ms. Jean.

"Yes Ms. Jean." replied the kids as they all rushed inside, with Samantha walking in last.

"Samantha, may I talk to you for a minute?"

Without saying a word, Samantha turned to look at her teacher, who kneeled down to make eye contact.

"Samantha, I've noticed that for the past two months you've been spending a lot of time alone by yourself. Is there something bothering you?"

"No, nothing's bothering me." she replied in a soft, quiet tone.

"Then why don't you socialize with the others?"

"I just don't feel like I'm accepted among them."

"Why would you say that?"

"I don't know."

"Listen Samantha, I care about you a lot. I know that you're doing well in my class, but I just want you to have friends and learn how to be more social with others, okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"There, now that wasn't so hard to talk about, was it?"

Samantha just shook her head.

"Good."

Later on after school was over, Samantha was standing outside waiting for her mother to come pick her up. As she waited, she looked up in the sky, gazing at the clouds above. She thought long and hard about what Ms. Jean had told her earlier. Though she still couldn't help feeling like she wasn't accepted by everyone, even though she was. She figured that she still had a long way to go before she could truly understand what friendship was.

"Hi there." said an innocent young voice.

Samantha turned her head to find herself face to face with a redheaded girl who looked like she was around her age. She had emerald green eyes, and she wore a short sleeved red shirt with a blue flower symbol on the front, a pair of pink jean shorts and some purple, laced up sneakers.

"Who are you?" asked Samantha.

"My name is Kimmy Limker, what's yours?"

"Samantha Miko."

"That's a nice name. Do you have any friends?"

"No, I don't have friends. I've never had any."

Kimmy formed a look of sadness on her face before she continued speaking.

"Why not?"

"I'm not exactly much of a social person, incase you hadn't noticed. I don't see myself as being able to make friends. Other kids look at me like I'm some sort of lonely little girl with a hidden agenda. Most of them have tried to cheer me up, but all I do is just push them away. I'm not cut out for friendship, I have no place in life."

"Don't say that. You may think that you can't make friends because of the way you are, but I know you can. You just have to give yourself a better chance at life. Don't let anyone tell you the opposite. Just do what you think is best.

"Are you sure that I can?"

"Yes."

"I don't know."

"Come on, just give it a try. In fact, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to be your friend."

Samantha's facial expression changed from a frown to a look of surprise. Here she was talking to a girl whom had just met her and already wanted to be friends.

"Why would you want to be friends with me?"

"Because to be honest, I don't really have friends either. Everyone just picks on me and calls me names. I mostly try to ignore it altogether, but it bothers me like a bad dream that won't go away. All I want is someone who accepts me for who I am, that's all. It's nothing major, I just want a friend. Someone I can talk to, play with and so much more."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

For the very first time, Samantha felt joy and happiness inside her heart. All these years she had spent most of her time being alone because she believe she didn't fit in with the others. But after looking at the girl next to her, she could see that they had a lot in common with each other.

"Okay." she said with a small smile.

"You mean you'll be my friend?" asked Kimmy.

"Yeah. It's the least I could do since you cheered me up."

"Thank you, friend." she said while smiling back.

Pretty soon, a red car came pulling up to the front of the school.

"Samantha, I'm here." said a woman from inside the car. She looked like she was in her late 20's, and she had long black hair like Samantha, only it was tied up in a ponytail. She also had hazelnut brown eyes.

"Well, my mom's here. See you later Kimmy." said Samantha as she got in the car.

"Bye Samantha, it was nice to meet you." replied Kimmy as she waved goodbye.

She watched her as the car drove away.

"So Samantha, how was it at school?" asked Samantha's mother.

"It was fine." she answered simply.

"Really, I don't think that's what your smile is saying."

"Okay you got me. I was by myself as usual, not playing with anyone. But this time, things changed."

"Did you make any friends?"

"Yes. That girl I was standing outside with, her name is Kimmy Limker. She's my new friend."

"See, I knew you'd make a friend if you just put your mind to it. Your father is gonna be so proud when he hears this."

"Is he working late again?"

"No, not this time honey, his boss let him leave early. There's a possible chance that he might get promoted sometime this week."

"It's about time."

The two of them laughed together as they continued on their way home. Samantha's smile had never once left her face during the whole drive home. All that was on her mind was how she had finally gained her first real friend. After having spent most of her childhood shunning everyone that came near her, she now felt like a whole new person.

**(Later on at the Miko household)**

"Well Samantha, your mother here told me that you finally made a friend, correct?" asked her father. He was a man in his early 30's, he worked as an employee at an office building in downtown Desrem City. He was one of the best employees around, most of his co-workers referred to him as *Mr Speedy * since he was able to get all his work done quickly in about 50 seconds or less.

"Yes I did daddy, her name is Kimmy Limker. She's a very nice girl, and I think we have a lot in common." said Samantha as she and her parents were having lasagna and garlic bread for dinner in the dining room.

"Very good."

"By the way daddy, mom says that your boss let you leave work early today."

"Yep, Mr. James said I did such a good job around the place that he decided to let me take the rest of the day off."

"And I'm really glad you did Jacob, being alone in the house all day is just so boring for me." said his wife.

"I know Linda."

"It looks like my life is gonna be a lot better from now on."

"Why is that Samantha?" asked Jacob.

"Nothing really, it's just a thought."

"I see."

"Have you kept in touch with Uncle Gaiyu?"

"Not really Samantha. After all since he's a martial artist, he never really has the time to talk to me. But he hasn't forgotten about his favorite niece."

Samantha just giggled in response. She had always loved her Uncle Gaiyu ever since she was a baby. To her, he was like a surrogate father figure who spoiled her with gifts and kept her company whenever her parents were unavailable. She also remembered when he had told her that when she was much older, he would teach her how to do martial arts, and Samantha knew that he would keep his promise since he loved her so much.

"I sure hope I'll get to see him again. It's been so long."

"We know you miss him dear, he misses you too." said Linda.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"That's a relief."

"You want to know a secret?"

"What is it?"

"Before I married your father, he and your uncle used to try and compete for my affection."

"No way!"

"Yep, it's true."

"She's correct Samantha. Back in our high school years, when we first met your mother she was the most beautiful girl in the entire school. No other girl was able to match her beauty and charm." added Jacob.

"I was the envy of all my friends. Boys couldn't take their eyes off me."

"My brother always had the looks and the words when it came to winning a girl's heart. Girls even called him *Prince Gaiyu*".

"Your father was more shy and quiet than his brother. He couldn't really pluck up the courage to talk to me at first. But that didn't stop him from trying to impress me."

"You must have went all out daddy." said Samantha.

Jacob chuckled before responding.

"Oh yes I did. Although your uncle was almost always ahead of me."

"But of course, they were both persistant. Eventually, it was your father that I fell in love with due to his sweet personality. It didn't take long for Gaiyu to get over me though."

"I wonder if things will go well for me when I start high school."

"They will honey, I guarantee it."

**(Many years later)**

"Are we still on for the mall this weekend Samantha?" asked Kimmy.

"Uh huh, I wouldn't miss it for the world." said Samantha.

Samantha (18 years old) was now in her senior year at Desrem High School. She and her friend Kimmy (also 18) were known around the school as the top most popular girls by various students. Ever since they met as kids, Samantha and Kimmy have been best friends for years. They always stood up for each other and comforted one another whenever they were upset. Many of the students even called them the "Inseparable Duo" because of how close they were.

"Well, I've noticed that a lot of guys have been admiring you Samantha."

"What can I say, my beauty is to die for."

"I'll say."

"Yeah, right."

"Have you found anyone special yet?"

"Of course not. I may have some potential suitors, but I'm not really interested in dating right now."

"Not even Zach Tiker?"

"Oh please, what would I want with a football player?"

"He's pretty nice once you get to know him. Not to mention, he's been thinking about you."

"How can you tell?"

"Trust me, I can tell."

"Hey Samantha, hey Kimmy." said a male voice from behind.

The two girls turned around to come face to face with a tall, blonde haired guy who looked like he was between the ages of 18 or 19. He was wearing a red, short sleeved shirt with three white stripes, a pair of blue jeans and laced up blue shoes. He had a firmly toned body, white skin and brown eyes.

"Hey Zach." greeted the girls.

"I was just walking down the hall and I happened to notice you two. So I thought I'd catch up and see how things are going." said Zach.

"Everything's fine Zach. How are things going in football practice?" asked Kimmy.

"Uh not so good. Our linebacker Thomas came down with the flu, so he's gonna be out for a while. Luckily our next game isn't until three months."

"Well I hope he recovers soon. The team wouldn't be the same without him." said Samantha.

"He is my best friend, along with David."

"Maybe Kimmy and I will send him some cards just to support him."

"Good, now I gotta get out of here before Mina shows up."

"Before who shows up?"

"Mina Sanbon, the most snobbish and selfish girl in the school. She keeps claiming that she and I are destined to be together. No matter what I do, she won't leave me alone."

"ZACHYKINS, THERE YOU ARE SWEETIE." said a loud female voice.

"Too late."

Before long, Zach was approached by a girl who had dark brown hair and violet eyes. She was wearing a blue tanktop with a white undershirt, red jean shorts and pink tennis shoes. She latched onto his right arm, giggling chidlishly.

"Where have you been Zach, I was looking all over for you. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

"It took you just now to realize that." replied Zach as he pulled his arm from her grasp.

"You're just playing hard to get."

"Why can't understand the fact that I don't like you?"

"You can't deny our love."

"We have no love, we're not in a relationship."

"Ooh, you're aggressive, I like that."

But before Mina could do anything else, she was pushed away by Samantha.

"Back off Mina, Zach doesn't want to go out with you." said Samantha.

"Who do you think you are coming between me and my lover?" she asked angrily.

"He's not your lover, and you need to leave him alone."

"I know who you are, you're Samantha Miko, the girl that everyone keeps talking about. If you think this is over, then you're mistaken. No one will stand between me and my true love, not even you."

Turning her back on them, Mina went storming off without even looking back.

"Whoa, thanks Samantha. You helped me dodge a bullet there." said Zach.

"It's no problem. Well anyway, it was nice seeing you Zach, but me and Kimmy have to get to Study Hall."

"Alright, see you later."

After Zach had left, Samantha and Kimmy resumed walking down the hall towards their class.

**(Later after school)**

Samantha and Kimmy were on their way home from school. Since it was only three blocks away, they didn't feel like driving, even though they each had a driver's license. After Kimmy made it home, Samantha continued the rest of the way by herself.

As she walked through the neighborhood, she was greeted by some of the kind neighbors. Being the nice girl that she was, Samantha happily waved at each of them.

"Well, I must admit that Zach Tiker is cute, but I don't seriously think that I'd go out with him. He is a good friend, but with that girl Mina bothering him, I just may reconsider." she said to herself.

When she arrived home, she took out her house keys from her pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open as she walked in.

"I'm home."

"Well, it's an honor to finally hear from my niece after so long." said a man who was sitting on the couch in a meditating position with his eyes closed. He had a short, black beard and he was wearing a black short sleeved shirt with a dragon symbol on it, along with matching pants.

A smile immediately formed on Samantha's face as she knew who it was.

"Uncle Gaiyu!" she squealed as she ran over and hugged him.

"It's good to see you again Samantha."

"I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you so much."

She then pulled away, allowing him to look at her more closely.

"Oh my, look at you. You've become a beautiful young woman, just like your mother."

"It's in my genes."

"And I assume that you've found a significant other already?"

"Hehehe, no Uncle Gaiyu. I don't have a boyfriend yet."

"Why not?"

"I'm just not into dating right now at the moment."

"I see. Well it's your decision, you can date when you feel that you're up for it."

"Thanks. Bye the way, where are my parents?"

"Your father is still at work, and your mother is upstairs taking a nap."

"Oh, okay."

"Good."

"You haven't forgotten your promise, have you?"

"No, I have not. I never go back on my word."

She gave him another hug and then headed off for her room.

"She's growing up so fast." said Gaiyu to himself.

**(During the weekend at the mall)**

"It sure feels nice, the two of us hanging out at the mall together, it's awesome." said Kimmy as she sipped on a soft drink while sitting at a table with Samantha.

"No kidding. Back during our early school years, we never had the chance to have fun without some guys trying to talk to us."added Samantha.

"Tell me about it."

"And the best part about it is, we don't have any secrets between us. We know everything about each other and there's nothing to hide."

"You mean it, no secrets between us?"

"Of course, we're best friends for life."

"That's great to know, because there's something that I've been wanting to let you know about."

"Well what is it?"

"I haven't been exactly honest about my true feelings."

"Your true feelings?"

Before she knew it, Samantha felt Kimmy's hand resting on her own, which made her puzzled.

"What are you doing?" she asked with confusion.

"I'm just showing exactly how I feel about you." replied Kimmy seductively as she moved closer to her.

Samantha was starting to become somewhat uncomfortable with all this. She couldn't believe what was happening, Kimmy was trying to hit on her. She tried to pull away, only for Kimmy to wrap her arm around her waist.

"Kimmy, you're starting to scare me."

"It's okay, there's nothing to worry about. I'm in love with you, I always have been. Right now, I just want to be with you, to love you. Please, just let me be close to you."

In a moment of shock, Kimmy leaned in and gently pressed her lips on Samantha's. Her eyes went wide at this shocking experience. It was like a nightmare having come to life.

She was being kissed, by her own best friend.

With only slight hesitation, she immediately pushed Kimmy off of her and stood up from the table, staring at her with a scared and embarrassed look on her face.

"Samantha, what's the matter?" asked Kimmy as she took an advance towards her.

"Don't come near me, stay away." Samantha responded with fear in her voice.

"Wait, don't go. I never meant to-"

"Keep away from me."

"Samantha-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" yelled Samantha before she turned around and went running out of the mall.

Kimmy just stood there motionlessly, watching Samantha run away from her.

"Samantha, I'm sorry." she said in a hurt tone as a single tear fell from her eye.

**To Be Continued**

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><p><strong>Well everybody. Here's the first chapter.<strong>

**It took me about a whole week to work on this.**

**You'll find out more about Shadow Stalker's origin as this story goes along.**

**So far, Samantha's life has started to slowly become more complex, especially since she just found out that her best friend is actually bisexual. This may cause problems with their friendship.**

**Anyway, the rest of her history will continue in Part 2 and so on.**

**Later folks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**A Nocturnal Beginning**

**Part 2**

For the past few days, Samantha felt like she was having nothing but bad luck. Ever since Kimmy had came on to her in the mall, she couldn't bare the thought of ever seeing her again. As such, she spent every school day avoiding her at all costs, fearing that if they met face to face she would try to hit on her again, or even worse. Though deep down, she had felt guilty about running out on her, yet she couldn't bring herself to apologize because of the trauma.

Later one day after school, as Samantha was gathering some things from her locker, she was soon approached by Zach.

"Hey Samantha, what's up?" greeted Zach.

"Oh nothing, I'm just getting ready to go home."

"This is odd. Usually you always walk home with Kimmy."

"Kimmy and I aren't really hanging out anymore."

"Why not?"

"It's for personal reasons that I can't explain."

"Don't worry, you don't have to. It's your business, not mine. Whatever happened between you two sounds really serious, so it wouldn't be a good idea to talk about it."

"Thanks for the sympathy."

"Anytime."

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><p><strong>(Two hours later at the Miko household)<strong>

Samantha was up in her room sitting on her bed looking out the window while it was raining. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened between her and Kimmy. It was something that would remain engraved in her memories and would never go away, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of her.

"How could I have not seen this coming beforehand. I can't believe it. And to think, she was my best friend." she said to no one in particular.

Soon, she heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it?"

"It's your mother." said Linda from outside the room.

"Come in."

Linda opened the door and walked in the room, closing it on her way in.

"I just came here to talk to you. Lately your father and I have been wondering why you're always so quiet and secretive these days. Did something happen?"

"It's too horrible to talk about."

"Samantha, you know that you can tell me anything. It's okay."

"I don't know if I can."

"It will be alright."

"Well, okay."

"Now tell me what's wrong."

"Last weekend at the mall, me and Kimmy were having a good time, it was just the two of us. We had lunch, we had a conversation, everything was fine until-"

"Until what?"

"Until she-"

"Come on honey, what is it?"

"Until she came on to me."

"She what?"

"She tried to seduce me."

"Why would she do that?"

"Because, she even kissed me."

"But that means-"

"Yes mom, she's bisexual."

"But why did you keep this from us for so long?"

"I was afraid that you'd be ashamed of me if you had found out."

"Samantha listen to me. You're my only child and I love you, so does your father and uncle. You shouldn't worry about what we think of you. Sure this was a traumatic experience for you, but when something like this happens, you can't keep it to yourself all the time."

"I know mom. But, I'm just so conflicted on what to do. It's like my mind is telling me to apologize for running out on her, but also my body is warning me to stay away from her."

"Look, it may seem shocking at first, but overtime you just learn to accept someone for who they are. That's how it is."

"What if I can't face her again. I've been avoiding her for days, but she's still my best friend."

"You can do it, just keep your confidence up and don't hold back."

"I love you mom." said Samantha.

"I love you too Samantha." replied Linda as they embraced each other in a hug.

Severals minutes later after the rain cleared away, Samantha had left the house and headed off for Kimmy's place. She was determined to rekindle her friendship and was also fully prepared to accept her for who she is.

But however, by the time she had arrived there she soon came upon an unexpected sight. Peeking in through one of the windows, Samantha spotted Kimmy, whom was on a couch in a living room, kissing what looked like an orange haired girl.

Riddled with shock, Samantha backed away and ran off without even saying a word.

"_I can't believe this, she went off and found another girl to be with just because I rejected her affections. How could she do this to me?"_ thought Samantha.

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><p><strong>(The Next day at school)<strong>

Kimmy was walking through the hallway, making her way to her second hour class. For all the days that passed, she couldn't stop thinking about Samantha. She felt hurt and disappointed at how Samantha had rejected her feelings. Although they had been best friends since childhood, deep down she had hoped that they could be more than friends.

However, she would soon get a surprise when she saw Samantha walking straight towards her. But judging from what she could see, Samantha looked rather angry.

"I need to talk to you." she said with a furious tone.

"Well, this is new. I never thought you would actually talk to me again especially since you've been dodging me for countless days." said Kimmy.

"Don't act cocky. I can't believe that you would betray me like this."

"I don't know what you mean?"

"What I mean is, I was my way to your house yesterday to try and apologize to you so we could patch things up. But the very moment I arrived, I saw you making out with some other girl."

"Oh my god, that's what this is about?" asked Kimmy as she started to become upset.

"Yes, apparently you just took it upon yourself to go out and find some other girl to make me look bad. You completely betrayed our friendship."

"You think that's the reason I did it? Well, let me tell you something. You couldn't even begin to understand how upset and hurt I was when you ran out on me that day after I made a move on you. I cried for hours in my room because of your rejection, it was as if I had nothing left in my life after what you did to me. A few days after that incident, I was miserable without you. Then when I ran into Stacy Marco, she asked me out on a date. Initially I turned her down because I was still in love with you and thought that maybe I'd eventually get another chance to be with you. But after doing some thinking, I realized that you'd never accept me for who I am, so I started seeing Stacy instead."

"You're right." said Samantha in a soft voice.

"What?"

"I said you're right. I'm really sorry about hurting you like that, it's just that I was taken by surprise, that's all. To tell the truth, I couldn't stop thinking about you either. If you want to be who you are, that's your choice. And you don't have to worry, because I'll accept you no matter what. We can still be friends, but nothing more."

With smiles on their faces, they gave each other a hug, meaning that their friendship had finally been restored.

"Are you sure we can't be more than friends?" asked Kimmy pulling back to look her in the eye.

"Kimmy!"

"Just kidding."

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><p><strong>(Later in the evening)<strong>

Samantha was on her way back to home after having spent the whole day hanging out with Kimmy at her house. She was smiling the whole way, feeling happy that she had gotten her best friend back in her life.

"_It sure feels nice to be friends with Kimmy again. Looks like my life is slowly coming back on track._" she thought to herself.

But her happiness soon faded when she spotted an ambulance parked in front of her house, indicating that something was wrong.

"Oh no, this can't be." said Samantha before she rushed up to the scene. She gasped with shock when she saw her mother being rolled out of the house on a stretcher by two male paramedics.

"What's going on, what happened to her?" asked Samantha.

"Your mother was found collapsed on the floor in the bathroom by your uncle. He called us as soon as he found out, and we rushed over to get her." said one of the paramedics.

"But why did this happen?"

"There's no easy way to say this. Your mother is diagnosed with cancer, her health is deteriorating."

"But you can help her, can't you?"

"I'm sorry. But with her being the way she is, I'm afraid she won't make it."

But Samantha's response was not a calm one.

"DON'T SAY THAT, DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT. YOU'RE JUST TELLING LIES, NOTHING BUT LIES. SHE'LL MAKE IT, I KNOW SHE WILL." shouted Samantha grasping the paramedic by the shirt.

"S...Sa...Samantha... is that you?" asked a soft voice.

Samantha turned her head around to see that her mother Linda was awake. She released the paramedic and ran to her side, taking her hand within her own.

"I'm here mom, I'm here for you. I won't leave you."

"Samantha, my time is up. I'm not gonna make it, you have to move on."

"Mom, please don't die. You can fight this, I don't wanna lose you, not now." Samantha pleaded with tears forming in her eyes.

"Listen to me, honey. Don't worry about me, just move on with your life. Don't let anything stop you. Be strong and never let your guard down, just fight on."

"Mom I-"

"Shh, it's okay. I'll always be with you, in your heart. I'll always...love...you Samantha."

After those last words, her eyes slowly closed and her hand slipped from Samantha's as she slowly drifted into unconsciousness. Linda Miko, was dead.

"I love you too, mom."

As she watched her mother get taken away before her very eyes, Samantha almost nearly tried to go after her again, only to be stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at her uncle, who had sympathetic look on his face. Without even a word, she embraced him in a hug, crying on his shoulder.

But they became even more upset upon finding out from another paramedic that Samantha's father Jacob was attacked at work by one of his fellow co-workers. He was stabbed through the chest several times with a knife before getting beaten really badly. He was quickly taken to the hospital to be medically treated, but despite the best efforts, he was not able to survive and soon died many moments later.

Many minutes later after the paramedics and the ambulance were gone, Samantha spent the entire time alone in her room, crying into her pillow. She couldn't understand how she had lost her parents in one night. It all seemed like a nightmare brought to life. This news left her feeling torn apart on the inside, and she knew there was nothing she could do to fix it. Her parents were gone, forever.

Her uncle Gaiyu himself was more upset than he looked. The trauma of losing his younger brother and sister-in-law at the same time made him feel nothing but guilt and sorrow. If only he had known this beforehand, he would have done all he can to try and prevent it. Yet, he was too late. This experience would continue to haunt him and his niece for the rest of their lives.

**To Be Continued**

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><p><strong>Here's chapter 2.<strong>

**Samantha's now reunited with her best friend. And so far everything was going well until she lost her parents, which is quite tragic. There's no telling what she'll do next.**

**Of course that will be in the next chapter.**

**I hope you enjoy this.**

**Later folks.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**A Nocturnal Beginning**

**Conclusion**

Today's week at Desrem High wasn't all it was cracked up to be. While the halls were usually booming with the ongoing conversations between various students and their peers, this time everything was quiet, almost too quiet to say the least, with the only small sounds being the whispers that came from some of the more minor students, such as sophomores and freshman.

And there was a particular reason for this matter. Samantha Miko was walking quietly down the hallway, completely ignoring the looks she was getting from everyone. Ever since she had lost her parents on that one horrible night, she was in no mood for any funny business, and judging from the serious look on her face, it was clear that she would not tolerate any at all. Even those who looked her in the eye would know better than to mess with her. She barely spoke to anyone as she went along, she didn't even bother to say one word since her lips never moved. The trauma she suffered over her loss had effected her so deeply that she had practically reverted back to the distant, antisocial persona she developed back when she was 8. At this rate, almost no one would even dare to go near her.

As she went along, she was joined by Kimmy.

"Hey Samantha." greeted Kimmy in a soft tone.

"Hey Kimmy." she replied.

"I heard about what happened to your parents. You're taking it pretty hard, huh?"

"Yeah, that's what happens when someone close to you dies so suddenly."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, I hope you'll be okay."

"Don't worry, I will."

"Well well well, if it isn't Samantha Miko and Kimmy Limker." said none other than Mina Sanbon, who was blocking their way.

"Get out of our way Mina, we don't have time for you." said Kimmy angrily.

"I don't think so. You're not going anywhere until I'm done with you."

Samantha started to lose her patience. She had no time for any of this, but it seemed as though Mina wasn't going to be taking a hint anytime soon.

"I'm not in the mood for you Mina, now get lost." said Samantha with a bitter tone.

"Oh, somebody's developed a backbone, huh?" taunted Mina.

"I'm warning you Mina, back off."

"And what are you gonna do if I don't, tough girl?"

"I'm serious."

"Mina, leave her alone!" Kimmy snapped.

"What is she gonna do, slap me silly?"

"I'll do more than that if you keep this up." Samantha snarled.

"How come you're so angry, did something happen, huh?"

Samantha was about to lose it. She was becoming more and more furious by the minute. However, being the selfish girl that she was, Mina kept on coming.

"Ooh look at this. Samantha Miko is getting angry. I'd watch my temper if I were you, you wouldn't want your precious mommy and daddy to see you like this, would you?"

At that moment, she crossed the line. With a scream of pure rage, Samantha struck Mina straight in the face with an extremely violent punch, sending her stumbling backwards before falling to the floor.

Kimmy was absolutely appalled at what had just happened. She had never seen Samantha this angry in her life, not even when they were younger. The other students themselves were even more shocked than she was, up to the point where some of them even became scared after witnessing such a scene.

Mina on the other hand was shocked beyond comprehension. She slowly raised a hand to her face, touching at the blood that came from the side of her mouth. Never once had she ever been hit in such a manner, especially by someone like Samantha.

She didn't have time to think as Samantha came walking up to her, grabbed her by the throat and slammed her up against a locker. She then looked at her with a glare so fierce that it could make anyone cower at the sight of her.

"Don't you ever talk like that about my parents. If you ever come around me again, I won't go so easy on you, got it?" she threatened.

"Y-y-yes." Mina replied with fear.

After that, she released her. Without another word, Mina went running off, with Samantha watching as she left. Feeling concerned, Kimmy had approached Samantha and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Samantha, are you okay?" she asked.

But she didn't say one word. Instead she slowly turned her head around to look at her, with tears falling from her eyes. Before long, she grabbed Kimmy in a hug.

"It's alright Samantha, it's over now." Kimmy said with sympathy as she returned the hug.

* * *

><p><strong>Later...<strong>

After school had ended for the day, Samantha had decided to walk back home by herself since she needed to be alone for a while. She just couldn't stop thinking about what had happened to her parents, even though she tried so hard to forget. But the more she tried, the harder it became.

Suddenly, she was alerted by the sound of a woman screaming nearby in the neighborhood. It wasn't long before she spotted a crook wearing a backwards hat, a leather coat, blue jeans and boots running down the sidewalk across the street, with a white purse tucked underneath his arm.

"That creep just robbed an innocent woman, I have to do something." she said before she started running after him.

She ran down her side of the street, trying the best she could to keep up with her target as she attempted to head him off at the crosswalk. She kept her eyes focused on him, making sure not to let him out of her sight. She then started to pick up her pace.

"If that punk thinks he can steal things in my neighborhood, he's horribly mistaken."

As soon as she reached the crosswalk, Samantha made a swift turn and rushed straight across the street, where she proceeded to knock the crook to the ground with a punch to the jaw. She then grabbed him by the fabric of his coat and brought him face to face.

"You've got some nerve, stealing a purse from an innocent civilian." sneered Samantha as she glared at him.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry, please don't hurt me, here's the purse back, everything's in there, I swear." he pleaded as he presented her the purse. She took the purse in one hand while still holding him with the other one.

"If I ever see you running around here again, next time you'll be locked behind bars."

"Understood, just please don't hurt me, please."

"I thought so, now get moving."

She then let him go. Doing as he was told, he took off running.

"Now to go find out who this purse belongs to." she said before turning to walk off, only to be met by an adult woman with brunette colored hair.

"Oh thank you so much for getting my purse back. That jerk had came out of nowhere and stole it from me when I wasn't looking." she said gratefully.

"You're welcome, I'm glad that I could help out." replied Samantha with a smile as she handed the purse to her.

After going their separate ways, Samantha headed back across the street and made her way home. Once she made it to her house, she found her uncle standing on the front porch with his arms crossed.

"Hey Uncle Gaiyu." she greeted.

"Hello Samantha, I just got a rather interesting call from your principal a few minutes ago." said Gaiyu in a stern tone.

"Let me guess, he told you that I punched Mina Sanbon, didn't he?"

"Correct."

"Figures. Look I didn't want to hit her, really I didn't. But she just made me so angry when she mocked my parents. I couldn't control myself, so I just lashed out."

"*sigh* Samantha, I know that you're still upset over losing your parents, and so am I. But you can't let your emotions get the best of you. You have to understand that just because someone talks down to you, it doesn't give you the right to attack them."

"I know. But I felt like I had no choice."

"Everyone has a choice, even you Samantha. Next time when something like this happens again, you must think before you act. Otherwise there will be consequences."

"Yes Uncle Gaiyu, I understand."

"But aside from this matter, I also happened to catch sight of you chasing that criminal not too long ago."

"You saw that?" she questioned him with surprise.

He let out a small chuckle before replying.

"Yes. And I must say that I was quite impressed at how fast you were running. You looked like a natural born athlete."

"Well, I owe it all to just exercising and eating better every once in a while. My gym teacher even said that I was her top student."

"Which proves that you've got what it takes. I do believe that the time has come for you to improve your skills."

Suddenly, she got excited as she knew what he was referring to.

"Oh my god, are you saying that you're going to train me?" she asked.

"Yes, my dear niece. I do believe that you're ready."

"Oh thank you Uncle Gaiyu, you're the best." she said with glee as she hugged him tightly.

* * *

><p><strong>A week later...<strong>

For the last few days, Samantha had spent most of her free time training with her uncle in martial arts everyday after school. While she initially messed up on a few trials during her earlier sessions, she gradually began to improve greatly as she went along.

Currently, she was out in the backyard, in the middle of practicing her fighting skills while wearing a martial arts keikogi, with Gaiyu watching her progress. He felt proud of how well his niece was doing. All of her punches and her kicks were executed with great speed and force.

"_Look at her, she's working so hard. If only her parents were still around to see her, they would have been so proud of their daughter's maturity into a truly independent young woman. But I know that somewhere in the heavens, they're looking down on her right now, smiling with joy._" he thought with a smile.

Samantha felt confident in herself. Even though the deaths of her parents had still effected her somewhat, she eventually learned to accept the fact that letting this one traumatic experience haunt her life was not going to solve her problems. Only by moving on from it was she able to function properly on both a mental and physical level. While she would always remember how much her parents loved her, she had to let go of the past.

"_I've come this far, I can't afford to let my guard down. This is my big chance to become stronger_." she thought._  
><em>

"Okay Samantha, that's enough training for today." called Gaiyu.

Samantha let out a sigh of relief, wiping away the sweat on her forehead due to having trained for 12 hours. She then went inside the house and got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. Her uncle came walking in soon after.

"That was the longest training session I've ever been through. Much longer than the last few days." said Samantha as she took a sip of her water.

"If you had kept training any longer, you would have passed out by then."

"Whoa, I wouldn't want to train that hard."

"I know, I was just making sure of it."

"Good, because I wanna be in tip top shape for tomorrow's training."

"Actually, there will be no need to worry about that."

"Why not?"

"I think you've been trained enough already for half the week. You should take the rest of the week off to calm down and relax, maybe hang out and have fun with some friends."

"I don't know about that Uncle Gaiyu. I mean, are you really sure?"

"Yes, spending an entire week of doing nothing but school work and training isn't really something I wanted in my free time when I was your age."

"I'm curious, how old were you when you started learning martial arts?"

"I was only 12 when I first started training. Your father kept begging me and your grandfather to teach it to him, but we always turned him down. Though that didn't stop him from trying to teach himself, but he didn't do very good."

"No way, are you serious?"

"Yes. Back then, besides trying to compete for your mother's love, your father and I always used to compete for everything."

"Wow, daddy never told me anything like that before."

"Heh, he was probably too embarrassed to talk about it in front of his little girl. Of course, there were times where he was one step ahead of me, and other times it was vice versa."

Samantha had nearly dropped her bottle of water when she started laughing. Hearing about how her uncle and his brother always used to compete with each other in their childhood was something she found to be hilarious.

"I can't believe you guys used to do that." she said after she stopped laughing.

"It was just something that most people call sibling rivalry."

"You never cease to amaze me."

"I know Samantha, I know."

* * *

><p><strong>The Next Day...<strong>

"So Samantha, I heard about what happened with Mina last week. Did you really actually hit her?" asked Zach Tiker whom was sitting at a table in the cafeteria with Samantha and Kimmy.

"Yes, I did. I wasn't proud of it, but she had it coming." said Samantha.

"Whoa, that's a shock. And judging from what I've seen, she hasn't been coming after me like she usually does."

"Well, aren't you happy that she's not bothering you anymore?" asked Kimmy.

"Yes, I really am. That means no more unwanted letters, no more flirting, no more stalking, and best of all, no more of those lame pet names like Zachykins."

"At least now she knows that we can't be taken lightly. And she'll remember that for the rest of senior year." Samantha while taking a drink of orange juice.

"Agreed." said Kimmy.

At another table from afar, Mina Sanbon was sitting alone, quietly watching Samantha and her two friends, who were soon joined by Stacy Marco, Kimmy's girlfriend. Ever since the previous incident when Samantha had punched her, Mina's reputation changed for the worst. Many of her friends abandoned her while the rest of the students teased and belittled her for being supposedly beaten by the likes of Samantha Miko. Her dislike towards Samantha had grown into bitter resentment, jealousy, and all out hatred. She hated her with such a passion that she almost felt tempted to return the favor with brute force. The thought of being humiliated in front of her peers by one simple punch made her more angrier as she kept thinking about it.

"Samantha Miko." she snarled.

If it was the last thing she ever did, she would have her revenge.

Upon hearing the bell, Samantha and her friends all got up from the table and exited the cafeteria, remaining oblivious to Mina's presence the whole time.

"No one makes a fool out of me and gets away with it. I'll make her rue the day she humiliated me, that's a promise."

Later after school was out, Samantha, Kimmy and Stacy all went walking together through the park. Kimmy was holding hands with Stacy while Samantha was looking up emails on her cellphone. Zach was unable to join them since he had to meet with his teammates for football practice.

"I love going for walks through the park. It's the perfect time to get some fresh air." said Stacy.

"You know, I've noticed that you two have really been spending a lot of time together lately. You must really adore each other." said Samantha after putting her phone away.

"You bet we do, we've already been on at least three dates already. I love spending time with Kimmy whenever I can."

"That's great. And just so you know, I'm in full support of your relationship. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise."

"Thanks, we appreciate that."

As they went along, they passed by a random man sitting silently on a park bench reading a newspaper. He cast an ominous and sinister glance at the girls without them noticing, with his sights being set primarily on Samantha. He chuckled sadistically and smiled with killer intent. Apparently he appeared to have an ulterior motive in store.

"Samantha Miko, your life will soon come to an end." he said in a dark tone.

* * *

><p><strong>Later at night...<strong>

Samantha was upstairs in her room, fast asleep in bed while her uncle was downstairs meditating on the floor. As a noble and wise martial artist, Gaiyu would regularly meditate every once in a while, going so far as to refrain from sleeping in the process.

However, unknown to them, a mysterious man was silently sneaking in through one of the windows in the basement. He was wearing a black hooded cloak which concealed most of his face from clear view, along with a ninja-like outfit which was blackish gray. He crept through the darkness, making his way up the stairs. His weapon of choice was a katana sword which was tucked within the scabbard on his back.

Upon reaching the top, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. He then began to sneak down the hallway, heading for the stairs which lead up to the second floor. But he stopped short upon spotting Gaiyu in the living room, currently still in the middle of meditation.

"Hmm, Gaiyu Miko. Killing you first shall be worth while." he sneered.

Drawing his sword from the scabbard, he wielded it with his left hand as he slowly approached Gaiyu. Once he was in range, he swung it forward with incredible accuracy, only for Gaiyu to duck underneath the attack, following up by doing a quick handstand, kicking the sword out of the man's grip and getting it stuck up in the ceiling. Gaiyu then stood up to face the intruder with a serious facial expression.

"I had a feeling that you'd show your face once again." said Gaiyu.

"Of course, I had completely forgotten how well aware you are of your surroundings."

"I see that you haven't changed a bit since our last meeting, Famiki Daigo. Or maybe I should say, Marksman."

"Well then, we'll just see about that."

Soon, the two engaged in a vicious battle. Gaiyu blocked most of the Marksman's initial blows with relative ease, all the while retaliating with a few blows of his own. He even managed to catch one of the Marksman's fists and flip him onto the coffee table, shattering it on impact.

Upstairs from inside her bedroom, Samantha awoke to the noises coming from downstairs.

"What's going on down there?" wondered Samantha.

Back downstairs, the fight had now intensified, with the two combatants becoming more aggressive with their attacks. The Marksman was able to pull his sword down from the ceiling and began to lash out at Gaiyu with violent sword attacks. Gaiyu did the best he could to avoid them, relying on his agility and reflexes to aid him in this situation.

"For a deadly assassin, you're getting too predictable, Marksman." said Gaiyu.

"Save it. Once I kill you, your precious young niece will be next." he remarked.

Gaiyu eventually managed to force him to the ground with a hip toss. He then pinned him down by his throat and glared down at him.

"I don't know how you found about her, but stay away from my niece!" he warned him.

"Uncle Gaiyu, what's happening down there?" called Samantha from upstairs.

"Samantha, stay in your room!"

"Why?"

"Stay in your room or you'll be killed!"

Using this distraction to his advantage, the Marksman stabbed Gaiyu in the gut with his sword, making him scream with pain.

"UNCLE GAIYU!" screamed an alarmed Samantha as she rushed down the stairs in her pajamas to see what happened. She gasped with horror when she laid eyes upon the sight of her uncle lying on the floor, clutching at his wound while the Marksman stood over him, aiming the tip of his bloodstained blade at his head.

"You foolish man. Letting your guard down for the safety of your niece, how pathetic." said the Marksman.

Gaiyu turned his head to face his horrified niece.

"Samantha, I told you to stay in your room." he said with a weak voice.

"Why bother, she should be here to witness the death of her beloved uncle. It's a shame that she can't do anything about it. She's nothing more than a weak, defenseless child. Even if she tried, she wouldn't even lift a finger to help you, let alone try and stop me."

"You idiot, you know nothing about her. You have no idea what it's like to even have a niece, you never did. You never even knew what it was like to have family."

"Don't you dare talk to me about family. That ship had sailed years ago, family no longer matters to me. And soon, it won't matter to you any longer."

The Marksman was prepared to finish off his fallen opponent. But as he raised his sword to make the killing blow, he was suddenly struck from the side by a punch to the head, knocking him away from Gaiyu. He growled as he turned to face his attacker. To his surprise, it turned out to be Samantha Miko, who had a look of pure anger and hatred on her face. The Marksman jumped back to his feet and glared at her.

"You little brat, you dare to challenge me?!"

"No one hurts my loved ones and gets away with it." replied Samantha with a bitter tone.

"You think you can defeat me?"

"I don't think, I know."

Without even another word, the Marksman rushed at Samantha, slashing his blade furiously. Remembering what she learned from her training, Samantha swiftly dodged every slash of his weapon with very little effort. She was biding her time wisely as she planned her next move in her mind.

When the time had came, Samantha caught her opponent off guard the moment he made his next move. Dodging his blade once more, she kneed him in the gut and punched him in the face, causing him to stumble back a few feet before regaining his balance. Snarling with fury, the Marksman rushed at her again, jabbing his sword forward. She swerved to the side, swiftly avoiding the oncoming attack before grabbing his arm and twisting it, forcing him to drop the blade as he yelled in pain.

"A real fighter relies more on their own skills instead of just relying on weapons." she said.

"Talking down to me will get you nowhere!"

As they continued to fight, Gaiyu watched with observation and amusement. He was proud of seeing how much she learned from him.

"_She's growing up so fast._" he thought with a smile.

Samantha continued to gain the advantage as the Marksman became more and more reckless with his attacks. Even though she wasn't as strong or aggressive as him, she had all the potential she needed to in order to match him. Before long, Samantha let loose with rapid fast punches and kicks, attacking her opponent with one blow after another. The Marksman tried all he could to fight back, but he proved to be no match for Samantha's agile moves.

With a furious scream, the Marksman tried one last time to attack Samantha with a punch. But in a quick motion, she caught his oncoming fist, punched him in the stomach and then tossed him out through one of the glass windows in the living room, where he landed face down in the grass.

The Marksman groaned softly as he felt excruciating pain throughout his body. He slowly rose to his feet, grunting painfully as he did. The blows Samantha had inflicted upon him had taken their toll on him. He slowly turned his head back towards the window, with Samantha standing there and glaring at him.

"This...isn't...over...yet!" he said angrily.

"Believe me, I know." Samantha remarked.

With all the strength he had left, the Marksman took off running into the night. Once he was out of sight, Samantha went over to check on her uncle, whom was still laying on the floor.

"Uncle Gaiyu, are you alright?" she asked while kneeling down.

"Yes, I'm fine. It'll take more than a blade in the gut to kill me." he replied as she helped him up onto the couch.

After getting the First Aid kit from the bathroom upstairs, Samantha patched up her uncle's wound with surgical tape using the skills her mother had taught her when she was 12. Once he was all taken care of, Samantha decided to talk with him.

"You had me worried, Uncle Gaiyu. I thought I was going to lose you."

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

"Who was that guy?"

"He used to be a man I once knew, but not anymore."

"You mean, like an old friend?"

"Yes."

"If you two were friends, why was he trying to kill you?"

"It's too personal to talk about. That's enough talking for now, it's late and you need to get some sleep."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine, just go back to bed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Samantha. Now off to bed."

Not wanting to argue, Samantha gave her uncle a hug before standing up from the couch and going back upstairs. Once she was back in her room, Gaiyu just sat there on the couch, thinking about what recently happened. He couldn't help but feel worried for his niece's safety now that there was a deadly assassin in town. He could not afford to lose another family member, especially to someone like the Marksman.

"_I should have known that the Marksman would eventually find out where I am. And worse, he knows about Samantha, and he's seen what she's capable of. A person like him is too dangerous to be taken lightly, Samantha will have to be on her guard just in case he strikes again. But at this rate, there's no telling what he'll do next._" he thought to himself._  
><em>

He turned his attention down to the Marksman's discarded sword still lying on the floor after he dropped it during his fight with Samantha. Gaiyu recognized it as the exact same weapon that nearly killed him years ago. He reached down from the couch and picked it up, cringing at the blood that it was stained with.

"Why did he come all the way here at all, how did he even know about Samantha in the first place?" he muttered.

Meanwhile upstairs, Samantha was just lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened downstairs not too long ago. Deep down inside, she actually felt scared out of her mind when she first confronted such a vicious opponent. If she hadn't acted sooner, the Marksman surely would have killed her.

"_That was a pretty shocking experience. I almost didn't think I'd make it through, but it's a good thing I did. However, that doesn't mean my life won't be any safer from here and so forth._" thought Samantha.

* * *

><p><strong>Later...<strong>_  
><em>

The next few days had been all but normal for Samantha. She was still not over her encounter with the Marksman, but she chose not to let her friends know about it. She felt shivers in her spine whenever she suspected that he may be lurking somewhere around the city, watching her from the shadows.

On a more personal matter, her uncle Gaiyu was having trouble with keeping himself in good condition. The wound he received in his fight with the Marksman was not healing too well, and his body was beginning to exhibit some strange symptoms, such as chest pains, increased heartbeats, constant dizziness and low blood sugar levels. He couldn't even focus regularly like he always did whenever he tried to meditate.

Aside from that, Samantha's days in school were somewhat different. Ever since her little confrontation with Mina, Samantha hasn't seen her at all throughout the rest of her senior year. Even though she disliked her, she was still curious about her sudden absence. There were rumors going around that Mina had left the school. These rumors were proved true when it was announced that Mina Senbon had been expelled for cutting classes, starting fights and threatening the staff members. Samantha was instantly baffled at such a discovery, but ultimately decided to forget about it overtime.

However, that didn't mean everything would go smoothly from now on.

Elsewhere, the Marksman was walking down an ominous hallway, heading straight for the door that was at the end of it. The injuries he sustained in his fight with Samantha were healing up rather well, though he still felt some degree of pain in his body. But it was nothing compared to the anger and fury that burned within his soul after suffering such a defeat, especially at the hands of a high school student.

"_Beaten by a mere brat, I can't believe I let my own anger cloud my concentration. Never again will I allow myself to be humiliated in such a manner._" he thought.

Once he reached his destination, he was met by two big and imposing thugs who stood guard in front of the door. One of them was a tan skinned man with a rugged beard and a bald head while the other one was a fair skinned man with short brown hair.

"The boss wants to have a word with you." said the second thug.

"I heard." he remarked.

"Go on in, she's waiting for you."

The two thugs stepped aside and allowed the Marksman to make his way inside. After closing the door on his way in, he went walking up towards a large desk that was stationed in front of a huge glass window. Standing on both sides of the table were two more thugs who were armed with machine guns and whose faces were concealed with black ski masks. The so called boss had her back turned to the Marksman in her swivel chair.

"Well well well, if it ain't the big bad assassin. I almost didn't think you'd show up after being gone all night." said one of the thugs.

"I had some loose ends that I needed to tie up." replied the Marksman.

"Cut the small talk, I don't have all day here." said an annoyed female voice.

"Sorry boss." said the thug.

"Now then, Marksman. You better have a perfectly good reason for your late night absence."

"I just told you that I had some loose ends to tie up." he repeated.

"And what were these so called loose ends?"

"Why should my business even matter to you?"

"Perhaps I should remind you that it was I who hired you as my personal assassin. As such, you're required to do exactly as I tell you."

"And I think it should be fair to remind you that I only agreed to this for the money. As I told my last employer, I don't work for free. Just because you're a big time crime boss, it doesn't mean I always have to answer to you, Laranna Tyke!"

"That's Lady Mistress to you!" she snapped upon turning around in her chair to face him.

Lady Mistress, as she preferred to be called, was a 27 year old woman with shoulder length light brown hair, dark blue eyes and slightly tanned, white skin. To most of the public, she was a respected and well acknowledged young woman, but in secret, she was a vicious, cunning, cold-hearted, organized and resourceful crime boss.

For many years she has been in control of a massive, anonymous criminal organization. All criminals who served her were expected to do exactly as she ordered them, otherwise they would be met with severe consequences. She was not one who took kindly to failure, and whenever someone failed her, she would deal with them personally.

However, the Marksman was no coward. As a deadly assassin, he never showed any signs of weakness when in the presence of powerful figures such as Mistress herself. In addition, he was not one to be fooled so easily, a fact which he made clear to the last person who hired him to do a job. The Marksman, like he stated, did not like working for free, and those who tricked him into doing so would be met with immediate payback, meaning that anyone who crossed him would pay with their lives.

"Listen here you idiot, I don't play games. This is my turf, and I expect the utmost loyalty from everyone who works for me, and that includes you. You should be wise enough to remember that." said Mistress.

"Let's get something straight. I'm not one of your scatterbrained cronies, I'm a professional assassin. I do things my way, and only my way. Even a stuck up woman like you should know better." he argued.

"I don't care who you are, and I don't freaking care how you do things. You better start to learn your place around here or else I'll have you terminated, personally!"

In a quick response, the Marksman drew out his spare sword and aimed it straight at her, with the tip only inches away from her face.

"The day you try to kill me, will be the same day I kill you."

After putting it back in his scabbard, the Marksman turned around and began to walk away towards the exit.

"And just for the record, even crime bosses like you can make mistakes. Just ask every crime boss I've ever worked for."

Pretty soon, he exited the room.

"I do not like that guy." said the first thug.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Years Later...<strong>

Life after graduation was not as pleasant as Samantha had hoped it would be. Now at the age of 20 years old, Samantha was trying to cope with living on her own for a while due to an unexpected incident which resulted in her uncle being hospitalized.

One day after school, Samantha had came home to find her uncle on the floor knocked out from unconsciousness with one hand on his chest. Upon driving him to the hospital, Samantha was shocked to learned from the doctors that Gaiyu had fallen into a coma due to high levels of physical stress and low blood glucose. Judging from how serious it was, there was no telling when he'd come out of it.

For half the week, Samantha was all alone in her house with no one else around. The only times she ever had any company were whenever her friend Kimmy and her girlfriend Stacy had came by for a visit every once in a while. They were the only friends she had left due to Zach leaving town for college.

Whenever Samantha was alone at home, she would spend most of her time training to improve the martial arts skills that her uncle had taught her. Overtime as she did, she began to expand on her training by doing push-ups, sit ups and even practicing on the punching bag she had set up in her backyard.

Ever since her first encounter with the Marksman, she still had a hunch that he was out there waiting for the moment to strike when her guard was down. But she knew he wouldn't stop at just killing her, he'd also go after those whom she was close to, such as her friends and her comatose uncle.

However, it wouldn't be just her friends and family she'd have to worry about, nor would it just be the Marksman that she'd have to deal with.

She was well aware of the crime that existed in Desrem City due to all the news reports she had watched. While the local law enforcement was able to handle most of it, Samantha felt that it could be handled more better.

She felt the need to do something that would make everyday life worth living for others.

She believed that with her newly learned skills, she could give criminals a reason to show regret for their actions.

She would be a protector to the citizens, and a threat to criminals of all kinds.

She'd become...a hero.

* * *

><p><strong>Three nights later...<strong>

A group of seven thugs were on the run through the city after they finished robbing a local jewelry store. They knew the cops would be after them sooner or later, so they made sure to get as far away from the crime scene as possible.

However, they remained unaware of the mysterious figure who was following them through the shadows.

As they continued on their way,they suddenly heard the sounds of police sirens coming from afar, prompting them to speed up their pace until they stopped near the northern entrance to Desrem Park.

"Those cops just don't know when to give up." said the lead thug.

"Why should we worry about them, they'll never stop us." said the second thug.

"Heck, they're ain't nobody crazy enough to get in our way."

"I beg to differ." said a new voice.

The criminals turned their attention towards the source of the voice, coming face to face with a woman wearing an all black costume, coupled with a cape. She had jet black hair tied back in a ponytail, and the top half of her face was concealed by a mask, with her eyes still being visible.

"Whoever you are, you're making a big mistake."

"Let's see if you might be right."

Without any hesitation, the criminals all went charging towards her, attempting to attack her. But they soon realized their mistake too late as one by one, they were all beaten up through a combination of powerful punches and swift kicks. Every punch each of them had thrown was blocked or dodge, followed by being hit with multiple counter attacks which knocked them off their feet.

In the end, only six of them wound up being knocked out. The last remaining thug, however, tried to make his escape. But he was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and forced to look into the eyes of his assailant.

"Please, please don't kill me." he begged.

"I'm not going to kill you, but I'm not letting you go either." she told him.

"Who are you?"

"You can call me...Shadow Stalker."

Afterward, she knocked him out cold with a punch to the face.

About two hours later, the police had arrived on the scene. But upon observing the area, they were shocked to see all seven thugs piled up on top of each other.

"Who do you suppose had done all this?" wondered a female cop.

"I don't know, but it certainly wasn't one of our guys." replied a male cop.

"I think we might have some kind of vigilante on our hands."

"I don't like those kinds of people. They always think they can act above the law, but they only make things worse."

"Yeah, but somehow I doubt it."

Meanwhile from up above, Shadow Stalker was overlooking the scene from the edge of a building, watching as the thugs were all rounded up and taken away in police cars.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile elsewhere...<strong>

"What, are you freaking kidding me with this Daniel?!" snapped a furious Lady Mistress.

"No ma'am, this ain't no joke. I just got word from JJ that some of our guys were caught by the police near Desrem Park." said a black haired man wearing a black short sleeved shirt, gray pants and a pair of brown boots.

"This is a freaking load of garbage, there's no possible way that the cops could have caught them all so easily!"

"Actually there's more to it than that. He also told me that some random stranger in a black costume just came out of nowhere and took them all out way before the cops had arrived."

"I don't believe this, who was it?!"

"I'm not sure, but he did overhear one of the officers say that it might have been a vigilante or something."

Mistress tried the best she could to keep her temper under control. But with everything she was being told, she found it hard to do so.

"Well this is just great. Seven of my best men got their butts kicked by some meddlesome vigilante and then they got arrested by the local law enforcement. Do you have any idea how humiliating that is?!"

"I wish I did. So what are you going to do about this, boss?" asked Daniel.

"What do you think, I'm gonna see to it that this never happens again."

"But how are you gonna deal with a vigilante?"

After calming herself down, she thought for a quick moment until she got an idea.

"I won't need to Daniel, I have a guy who can do the task for me." she said with a sinister smile.

"Who?"

Suddenly, the Marksman appeared out of the shadows from the corner in the office.

"That would be me." said the Marksman.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, Chapter 3 is finally up and running. I've been working on this chapter for a long time, but I could never finish it because of writer's block.<strong>

**This story isn't over yet. There are plenty more things to be expected in later chapters.**

** I bet some of you can already guess who Shadow Stalker really is. I'm not telling you though, you have to figure it out on your own.**

**And I've gotten around to introducing two of my OC villains, the Marksman and Lady Mistress. But I'll come up with more when I get the chance.**

**Anyway, tune in next time for Chapter 4. Later folks.**


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